Performances for Children and Teens
"Treehouse Shakers creates children's dance-theater of the highest caliber. The performers' sense of wonder and pleasure in performing is infectious, and I've seen them establish rapport with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens."
-Aviva Geismar, Artistic Director, Drastic Action
View the Current Performance Calendar What's New...scroll down
View the Past Performances
HATCHED
A Seedling Drama
Written and Directed By Mara McEwin
Puppet Design By Patti Gilstrap
Performed By Amber Ford, Mara McEwin, Josh Tag, and Sarah Young
Set Design by Lauren Rockman
Lighting Design By Dan Ozminkowski
Performed through movement, handcrafted puppets, and very little human dialogue, the story is set amidst an American family farm. The chick is met by a feisty old rooster, a wobbly calf learning to walk, a litter of kittens, a baby lamb, and a noisy nest of baby birds. Audiences help create their own "nests" and are encouraged to interact and play with the characters onstage; they give the chicks their feed, milk bottles to the lamb, and worms to the baby birds. Original live guitar music is the underscore. It is a beautiful and delicate tale, told through exquisite visuals, music, and the exploration of newborn animals.
See more video diaries on marastrehouse.blogspot.com
February 2, 1012
Work-in-Progress
11:00am
Free with Museum Entrance
Long Island Children's Museum
11 Davis Ave.
Garden City, NY 11530
April 20 and 21, 2012
Premiere
11:00am
Long Island Children's Museum
11 Davis Ave.
Garden City, NY 11530
May 3-4 and 10-11, and 19, 2012
NYC Premiere
11:00am
The Ailey Citigroup Theater
Joan Weill Center for Dance
405 West 55th St. (Corner of 9th Ave.)
Reservations: 212.715.1914 or contactus@treehouseshakers.com
Tickets: $20, call for group discounts
Pick up tickets at Box Office the day of performance.
Tickets are non-refundable.
Theater is Handicap Accessible.
HATCHED is made possible in part with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and The New York State Council on the Arts.
Current Repertory
Photo by Dan Ozminkowski
Let's Talk About IT!
A dance-play for Teens
Photo by Giulia Piccari
...deftly and humorously explores intimacy, relationships and the challenging choices teens face...
Click for more about Let's Talk About IT!
View a video clip of Let's Talk About IT!
View a video clip of Let's Talk About IT!
AND...
ANIMAL RHYTHMS
Two African Folktales
Photo by Mickey Pantano
...an enticing performance blend of West African story culture, dance, theater, and live music...
Click for more about Animal Rhythms
AND...
DESERT TRAVELS
Tales From the Middle East
Photo by Mercedes McAndrew
...an intriguing and humorous performance mosaic where rats marry princesses, storks speak and the desert sand becomes a tent...
AND...
COYOTE'S DANCE
Photo by Mercedes McAndrew
...follow Coyote, who is both clown and teacher, on a humourous journey of deceit and adventure...
Click for more about Coyote's Dance
View a video clip of Coyote's Dance
Scroll down to see show descriptions.
--
"Both my grandson and I really enjoyed the performance. You all did a great job. Now a days it's tough to tear a child away from computer games, WII games, Nintendo and their TVs. Your wonderfully talented group not only kept my 6 year grandson's attention, but he sat with eyes wide open and at times mouth too. He couldn't stop talking about it and wouldn't let me forget to have his picture taken with the cast."
-Chris Carbillano
--
"Treehouse Shakers creates fantastic dance/theater performances for children that has the subtlety and artistry that engages their adult companions. I went on my own, without a child and loved it...."
-Jackie Pine, Executive Director Early Stages, Inc.
Now in Repertory
All listed shows have been Written by Mara McEwin and Choreographed by Emily Bunning.
Currently Booking!
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!
A dance-play for Teen Audiences
Cast:
Written by Mara McEwin
Choreographed by Emily Bunning
Costumes: Patti Gilstrap
Performers: Amber Ford, Malinda Crump, Maxx Passion, Elise Smith, Josh Tag, and Mara McEwin
Running Time: 1 hour
Project Description:
Through the vocabulary of dance, ancient world folklore, real-life stories, and video interviews of everyday teens and pre-teens, Let's Talk About IT! is a performance that deftly and humorously explores intimacy, relationships and the challenging choices many teens have faced and continue to face in the turbulent twists of every day.
Let's Talk About IT! intertwines several artistic mediums with grace and subtlety; movement is sculpted with words; videos are projected through dance and story. The movement tells the physical story of the teen body as it transitions from childhood to adulthood through a unique blend of modern dance, contact partnering and Bunning?s personal spin on hip-hop. McEwin's writing weaves the retelling of traditional world folklore with real-life pre-teen and teen interviews from various genders, races and neighborhoods. This melding of old and new storytelling, develops the story of being a teen in a hyper-techno age, while still holding onto the conflicts, thoughts, hopes and dreams that have inflicted teens throughout the centuries.
"In the captivating Coyote's Dance, an interactive spectacle, the proud, clever coyote of American Indian legend is being imaginatively incarnated by Treehouse Shakers."
Laurel Graeber, New York Times
Retold By Mara McEwin
Choreographed By Emily Bunning
Drum Composition By Roderick Jackson
Music By ULALI
Costumes By Patti Gilstrap
Running Time: 45 minutes
Performers: 2 Actors, 3 Dancers, 1 Drummer
Cast
Emily Bunning, Amber Ford, Malinda Crump, Ashley McGill, Roderick Jackson, Mara McEwin, Sarah Milosevich, and Miranda Wilson
Coyote's Dance
envelops the culture and story of Coyote, whose exploits are recounted among many of the North American Indian nations. Audiences follow Coyote, who is both clown and teacher, on a humorous journey of deceit and adventure. Coyote's Dance is performed in native-influenced costumes, headdresses and a lively mixture of movement-styles from various Indian nations. The dance-play expresses the remarkable vitality of the cultures to which these stories belong. Coyote's Dance is excellent for all ages, and can be presented with additional workshops that include; drumming, storytelling and dance tailored to accommodate the appropriate age range.
View a video clip of Coyote's Dance
Desert Travels: Tales from the Middle East
Photo by Mercedes McAndrew
Cast
Retold by Mara McEwin
Choreographed by Emily Bunning
Music Composed by Mark Sopchak
Percussion Composed and Performed by Roderick Jackson
Costumes: Patti Gilstrap and Laura Stinger and Andrea Gastelum
Performers: Amber Ford, Malinda Crump, Elise Smith, Mara McEwin, Roderick Jackson, and Emily Bunning
Premiered 2004 at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange in Brooklyn, NY
Running Time: 45 minutes
Perfomers: 2 Actors, 3 Dancers, 1 Drummer
Desert Travels is a performance mosaic of modern dance, storytelling and live music that will sweep audiences across the desert on a magic carpet of stories. Join in these heart-warming Middle Eastern folktales as rats marry princesses, storks speak and the desert sand becomes a tent, lending lessons of generosity, forgiveness and cooperation.
Desert Travels Tech Rider
ANIMAL RHYTHMS Two African Folktales
Photo by Mickey Pantano
ANIMAL RHYTHMS
Cast
Dancers: Emily Bunning, Malinda Crump, and Elise Smith
Actors: Larissa Laurel, Mara McEwin
Drummer: Roderick Jackson
Costumes: Kate Cusack
Original Music: Mark Sopchak
Premiered 2002 at the LIFE Homeless Shelter, NYC
Running Time: 40 minutes
Performers: 2 Actors, 3 Dancers, 1 Drummer
Ages 2 and up
Animal Rhythms is an enticing performance blend of West African story culture, dance, theater and live music. Animal Rhythms has audiences explore rhythm as they create the sounds of the ancient story drum using call and response chants and body drumming. Audiences are introduced to vibrant modern dance as the humorous characters journey through the stories in bright African costumes and headdresses. Animal Rhythms opens with an introduction rhythm and movement workshop, allowing audiences to connect to the dance they are about to see. There is also an African drumming workshop between the stories. Tailored workshops can also be booked with performances.
*All Performances include Teacher's Guides upon request as well as additional classroom workshops. Please call Mara McEwin at (212) 715-1914 for booking or additional information.
Past Repertory:
End of Winter
Ages 4-10
This interactive dance-play follows a little girl named Claris, her best
friend a city pigeon, and a snowflake as they journey to stop the evil
witch Puewina Pollution and her little frog, Smog from destroying the
dancing seasons. We need your help to save Mother Earth!
Flying Through Rainbows
Ages 2-5
Flying Through Rainbows has
created so much fun with the original 26 letters it makes you long for
more! Laurel Graeber of The New York Times
The story of the letter "O" comes to life as she searches for her true identity. "O" dances through a visual world of on-site painters as her journey takes her through jungles, forests, cliffs, grasslands, the sun, the moon and the rainbows along the way!
We are happy to book any of our past performances. If you are a school,
community center, festival or theatre, our company can travel to your
site. Please call Mara McEwin at (212) 715-1914
or email us at:
contactus@treehouseshakers.com
Treehouse
Shakers
Radio City Station
P.O. Box 186
New York, NY 10101-0186
(212) 715-1914
contactus@treehouseshakers.com
Emily Bunning,
Artistic Coordinator "Mover"
Mara McEwin, Artistic Director "Shaker"
site design:
Wade Hampton
wade@transflux.com